Enter the efficiency (%), the height (m), and the flow rate  (m^3/s) into the calculator to determine the Hydro Power. 

Hydro Power Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the Hydro Power.

Ph = n*p*g*h*Q
  • Where Ph is the Hydro Power (watts)
  • n is the efficiency (%) 
  • h is the height (m) 
  • Q is the flow rate  (m^3/s) 
  • p is the density of the water (997 kg/m^3)
  • g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81m/s^2)

How to Calculate Hydro Power?

The following example problems outline how to calculate Hydro Power.

Example Problem #1

  1. First, determine the efficiency (%). In this example, the efficiency (%) is determined to be 1.3.
  2. Next, determine the height (m). For this problem, the height (m) is measured to be 5.4 .
  3. Next, determine the flow rate  (m^3/s). In this case, the flow rate  (m^3/s) is found to be 1.6.
  4. Finally, calculate the Hydro Power using the formula above: 

Ph = n*p*g*h*Q

Inserting the values from above and solving yields: 

Ph = 1.3*997*9.81*5.4*1.6 = 109,855.36 (watts)

Example Problem #2

Using the same method as above, determine the variables required by the formula. For this example problem, these are:

efficiency (%) = 8.4

height (m) = 5.2

flow rate  (m^3/s) = 9.5

Enter these given values into the calculator or above yields: 

Ph = 8.4*997*9.81*5.2*9.5 = 4,058,545.32 (watts)